Challenges Faced in Kiyuni

In working with the communities in Kiyuni parish, Gayaza Sub-County, Kyankwanzi District in Uganda,

Key constraints the local people are facing include weak organizational capacity, a lack of access to rural credit, use of extensive/intensive subsistence farming practices and poor rural infrastructure such as roads among others.

Poverty is one of the biggest challenges besides ignorance, hunger and disease affecting people's livelihoods in Kiyuni. Well over 50% of local people live under extreme poverty conditions, with income levels so low that they are unable to meet their basic livelihood needs.

Whereas agricultural development is central to alleviating poverty and food insecurity, in Kyumi, subsistence farming practices have been based on extensive use of the natural resources; and lack of use of appropriate technologies resulting into multiple consequences including food insecurity, and inadequate incomes.

Local people lack the capacity knowledge and skills to address these challenges and needs related. The inability of local people to address issues of natural resource management, gender and HIV/AIDS further represent barriers to their agriculture development and sustainable livelihoods.

Nevertheless, local people in Kiyuni have usually expressed a clear desire and need for improving their livelihoods. Sustainable Livelihoods International (SLINT-Uganda: www.slint.org )works with the community mission of empowering people to secure sustainable incomes, food security and improved quality of life while protecting the environment (http://www.slint.org/multimedia_gallery.html).